Lamp-hanger structure



Aug. 7, 1928.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 24, 1925 Aug. 7, 1928. 1,679,953

A. J. THOMPSON LAMP HANGER STRUCTURE Filed Jan.24, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 v Z221". Z.

- Gummy Patented Aug. 1928.

' {UNITED srA AL IsorrJ. THOMPSON, or onnvnnalvnon rof LA MPJIANGER STRUCTURE.

I Application filed January 24, 1925. Serial No. 4,503.

This invention relates to improvements in lamp hanger structures of the type comprismg an upper stationary hanger member adaptedtofbe mounted at an elevated point and a lower lamp-carrying hanger member adapted for releasable latching engagement therewith. The lower hanger member has I attached thereto a suitable chain or cable bymeans of which it may be lowered to the grounder floor toifithe inspection, cleansing or repair of its parts, particularly the lamp and thereafter raised to latching engagement with the upper'stationary hanger member. j

Lamp hangerstructures of this type are used in multitudinous places, such as along the associated contact member or members streets and above machinery in mills and shops, and it is often extremely inconvenient, if not impossible, to clean or repair the lamp or'other parts of the lower hanger member at the place'where it is lowered, due

to traffic in the case of streets, and machincry and the like the case of mills and shops, or because ofinsuflicient illumination, or for other reasonsfMoreover, the attendant darkness oi'ten prevents the performance of other work in the darkened areaand when the repair or cleaning of the lamp or other partsof the lower hanger member requires considerable time, a material aggregate financial:loss results. j

The object of the present invention is to improvelamphanger structures of the class described by the provisionot' a lower hanger member in which theilluminating lamp and connected thereto may be easily and almost instantaneously removed fromand applied tosai'cl lower hanger member and without disturbing the wiring connection of said lamp and contact members. A dirtyor improperly working lamp and the contact members therefor, which may be in the same condition,=may be readilyremoved' from the lowered lower hanger member and another lamp and other contact members, in clean and proper working condition," quickly substituted therefor. The illumination of the region or area of any lamp is, therefore, cut off for a few minutesonly, so that the time offnearby workmen isfnot lost and the re- I moved lamp and contact members may be and time or parts, ifsuch are needed.

.later to be described.

PATENT OF ICE.)

conveniently and safelycleanedor repaired where there is sufiicientroom, illumination. proper. tools and where there 1 are Further objects of the invention are-in part obvious and in in detail hereinafter. U a

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is avertical sectional view of'a lamp hanger structureem The upper hanger member comprises-a sheave housing 1 provided with laterally ex tending ears 2 by means of which the upper 'partwill appear more i a clearer understanding hanger member is supported at anelevated point." Journalled within this housing is a sheave 3 over which travels a chain 4 to which is attached the lower hanger member Secured to the base of said housing by the screws'5 isa depending canopy member 6 within the central portion of which is secured, by these same screws 5, a slottedvtubular member 'Zpro- Vided on opposite sides of its slot with suitable latch receiving notches 7 Secured to the top wall of the canopy I member by screws 8 are a'pair of depending insulator blocks.9, each of which hasanchored'tlierein the upper endof a screw bolt 7 10, upon the lower end of whichis mounted a suitable contact member 11. I Suitable washers'are provided for each contact member, such as the fib-rewasher-12 and the pair of brass washers 13 between which one of V the contact lead 'wires lt is clamped.

The lower hanger member comprises a hollow tubular stem ,15 through which extends the chain 4, said stem being secured upon oneend of saidchain byrthe chain washers 16 which-lie within thestem chamber 17. Pivotally mounted upon theupper end portion of this stem is a latching dog sulator block 21 by a screw a slow pull onthe 15.;

T tion, said bolt 18, which is adapted for latching engagement with the notches hanger tubular member 7 bular member said stem is adapted to slidably engage. The two hanger members are latched together by a pull on the chain a so as to raise the latching dog of the lower hanger member above the slot notches 7 of the upperhanger member; then upon slowly lowering the lower hanger member, the

7 of the upper latching dog thereof will drop into said notches. To unlatch thehanger members,

chain t raises the. latching dog out of said notches and a quick release of the chain causes the dog to-drop down past said'notches. When so unlatched from. the upper hanger member, the lower hanger member may be readily lowered by thechain lto the floor or ground, for inspection, cleansing or repair purposes, and thereafter raised-to latching engagement with the upper hanger member, as will be, readily understood. I g

Co-operating with the two upper contact members are the contact members of the lower hanger member, whichlower contact members are of like construction so that a description of one will suffice for both. Each of said lower contact members includes an upper portion having a convex upper contacting surface to properlyv COIllBZLCt'WVltll thecontacting surface of one, of the upper contact members. This upper contact portion 20 is held in the recess of an upper inbolt 22 having its curved head countersunk in said contact por- 22 serving also to secure to said upper insulator block a lower insulator lower hanger block 28 of like construction and size.

Each ofthe lower contact members is mounted upon a suitable support which is adapted for convenient and almostinstantaneo'us application to and removal from the member. Preferably, said contact supports areof resilient material to enable the contact members to have sufiicient movement relative to the lower hanger meme berrto properly engage the upper stationary contact members when the upper and lower hanger members are'latched together. In the specific embodiment here 7. illustrated, each of the contact supports is in theform ofa'resilient wire 24, bent into substantially 1 u shapewith :the outer'curved, converging end portions 25- thereof clamped in "suitable grooves 26. in the contiguous faces of the insulator blocks of one of the contact members; Theinner end portion 27 of each of these contact supporting members is adapted to be hung over an upwardly extending lug or 'p ro ec tion 28 of thelower hanger stem, said projectionsbeing'formed on opposite sldes of said stem, preferably integral therewith. In the present embodiment, these within which tu- I in such horizontal position but portion of each of in substantially horizontal position and preferably at the base of the projectlons 28 thereof by coils 29, each of the contact supporting members being here provided with two coils. These coils engage thefront face of the stem projections 28 and not only maintain the contact supporting members also materiallv assist in giving said members suflicient resiliency to enable the contacts mounted thereon to properly engage the upper contacts when x the uper and lower hanger members are latched together. ing of the contact supporting members upon the, projections 28 her is, of course, firm or secure enough. to prevent the accidental escape of saidcontact supporting members during raisingan lowering movement of the lower hanger Ill8l1'll)l.' When the upper'and lower hanger The mount'-' of the lower hanger 'mem-f members are latched toget 1er with the lower.

contacts engaging the contacts of the'upper, hanger member, the supporting wires for thelower contactscannot be lifted and there: by escape.

As clearly shown in Fig. 4, the inner end they lower contact supportingrmembers is formed with asuitable opening 30 toreceive a stem projection 28, which enables the contact supporting meme bers to be easily, upon andfreely lifted from the lower hanger stem.

Threaded to the lower end of the lower hanger stem 15 is an outlet connector member to the lower hollow portion 31 0f hich is threaded the-illuminating lamp 32, which lamp may be of any suitable size and design, Suitably connected to said lamp are a pair of lead wires; 33 which pass up through the tubular lamp connecting por,

tions 31 of member 30 andth'en separate, one wire passing out through each of the two lateral passages 34 of said connector mem v her. The upper ends of these lead wires are suitably attached to' the lower contact members, such as by being clamped between washers 35 which are held against the lower insulating blocks 23 by the screw bolts 22;.

W 1th the present improved lamp hanger structure,-the lamp of the lowerghanger member need not. be repaired or cleaned-at the place where the lower hanger member is lowered with the disadvantages above mentioned, but the supporting members upon which the lower contacts are mounted may be readily and quickly lifted 'from'the projections 28 ,of the lower hanger stem, after which the connector member 30, to which is attached the lamp 32, maybe. readily unsimply and quickly hung l'lU screwed and removed from said stem, all

without disturbing the wire connections be tween the lampand the lower contact members. Another connector member having a,

llll) I clean and properly working lamp equipped with a set of contact members electricallycontact for the lamp .of

hanger means, whereby tution of another lamp and'other contact supporting members, in clean and proper working condition, require but afew minutes so that the period of non-illumination and the aggregate time loss are negligible.

lVhat I claim is: v

1. In a lamp hanger structure, carrying hanger means provided upwardly extending projection, an

'a lamp with an electric and a support for said contact provided with an opening to receive the projection of said hanger means, whereby said support maybe hung upon said hanger means, the removal of said contact support from said hanger means being effected solely by lifting move.-.

ment of said contact support and without the manipulation of a screw, nut or the like.

2. In a lamp hanger structure, lamp carrying hanger means provided with an upwardly extending projection, an electric contact for the lamp of said hanger means, and a support for said contact provided with an opening to receive the projection of said said contact support may be hung upon said hanger means, said contact support being provided with means co-operating with said hanger means for maintaining said support in a position substantially normal to the longitudinal axis of said hanger means when said support is j hung upon the projection of said hanger means, said support being removable from said hanger means by simple lifting movement of said support and without the manipulation of a screw, nut 01' the like.

3. In a lamp hanger structure, lamp carrying hanger means provided with an up wardly extending projection, an electric contact for the lamp of said hanger means,

and a support for said contact provided with an opening to receive the projection of said hanger means, whereby said contact support may behung upon said hanger means, said contact support being provided with integral means copperating with said hanger .means for mainta ning said support in a said hanger means,

said upper hanger member.

position substantially normal to the longitudinal axis of said hanger means when said support is hung upon the projection of said hanger means, said support being removable from said hanger means by simple lifting movement of saidsupport and without" the manipulation of a screw,nut or the like.

A. In a lamp hanger' structure, lamp carrying hanger means provided with an upwardly extending projection, an electric .con-

tact for the lamp of said hanger means, and

a support for said contact provided with an 7 opening to receive the projection of said hanger means, whereby said contact sup port may be hung upon said hanger means,

said contact support being .pro-videdwith a resilient coil co-operating with said-hanger means for maintaining said support in a position substantially normal to the longitudinal axis of said hanger means when said contact support is hung upon the projection of said hanger means, the resilient coil of .7

said support also affording a resilient mountin 'bei ng. removable from the projection of said hanger means by simple lifting movement of said support and without the manipulation of a screw, nut or the like. 7

5. In a lamp hanger structure, an upper hanger member, a lamp carrying hanger mem'berremovably securable therewith, contact members secured on said upper hanger for said contact, said contact support member, upwardly extending pro ections on said lamp carrying hanger member, con tact supports mounted on said plO]6Qi/10I1S and removable therefrom by simple lifting movement, insulating means on'said contacting supports, and contact members carried by'said insulating means and arranged for engagement with the contact members of 6. In a lamp hanger structure, an upper hanger member, a lamp carrying hanger member removably securable therewith, contact members secured on said upper hanger member, upwardly extending projections on c said lamp carrying hangermember, contact supports mounted on said, projections and removable therefrom by simple liftlngmovement and having resilient convolutions abutting the base portions of said projections, in-

sulating means on said contact supports, and contact members carried by said insulating meansfor wiplng engagement with the consaid wiping being generally arcuate about saidconvolutions.

signature. p ALLISON J. THOMPSON.

In testimony whereof I hereby aflix my I 11 5 tact members of said upper hanger member, 

